Secondary school scholarships for Afar youth
With funding from IATW Canada, FSA gave scholarships to 19 pastoralist students so they could stay in school through grades 9 and 10.
Young people in Afar are hungry for education. Many see it as the only way out of poverty, yet for most of them it is out of reach.
Many older members of Afar pastoralist communities do not see the value of schooling, so their children, and especially their daughters, often miss out.
Even young people whose families support them face a practical problem. Most pastoralist families live far from the nearest secondary school, so continuing their education means living away from home, which is both costly and hard.
To help students stay in school through grades 9 and 10, FSA used funding from IATW Canada to set up scholarships for 19 Afar students. The scholarships pay for school supplies, food and rent, since the students live in the district town, away from their families. We also hired a tutor to help them keep up with their studies and do well.